Apparatus for fumigating books



June 13, 1961 Filed June 5, 1957 A. E. ZEUMER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 U 5 42 I I I I3 I 15 i 24 Is a 44 I7 l6 6 29 a B 33 21 32 3| 9 I Uffi INVENTOR ALBERT EDWARD ZEUMER BY waan ATTORNEYS June '13, 1961 A. E. ZEUMER APPARATUS FOR FUMIGATING BOOKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1957 INVENTOR ALBERT EDWARD ZEUMER ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofice 2,987,785 v v APPARATUS FOR FUMIGA'I'ING BOOKS Albert Edward Zeurner, Hadley Cote, Hadley Green,

. Barnet, England Filed June 5, 1957, Ser. No. 663,763 Claims priority, application Great Britain June 28, 1956 2 Claims. (Cl. 21-76) a This invention relates to fumigators for books specially for use in libraries where it is highly desirable that books lent to the public shall be clean and free from germs. A

It is the main object of this invention t c-provide a construction of fumigator into which the operator can drop a book, the book itself setting the apparatus into operation and being subsequently automatically ejected The invention accordingly provides a after treatment. fumigator for books comprising a cabinet, means in the cabinet to temporarily retain andsubsequently to eject it from the cabinet, and means for blowing a stream of aircontaining vaporized furnigant liquid onto the book whilst in the operative position in the cabinet.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following particular description with reference to the accompanying drawings therein: FIG. 1 is a vertical section through the apparatus, with most of the working parts seen in elevation; FIG. 2 is an elevation to a much enlarged scale of cam mechanism in the apparatus; FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram.

In these figures, the apparatus consists of a cabinet 1 containing a partial lining 2 of felt, the purpose of which is to absorb and retain excess fumigant liquid released into the cabinet and thereby tend to give an even distribution of such liquid although the supply thereof may vary.

At the upper part of the front wall 3 of the cabinet is provided a pivoted flap 4 which can be pushed back in the direction of the arrow. This leads to a chute 5 inclined downwardly and terminating above a fixed L-shaped table 6. The shorter lower arm of the table joins to another chute 7 leading past another pivoted flap 8 to a stop 9. When a book 10 is inserted through the flap 4, with the unbound edges of its leaves leading, it slides down the chute 5 and rests in the position shown on the table 6. Near the upper part of the table 6 is arranged a rectangular frame 11 pivoted on a horizontal rod 12 mounted in suitable bearings in the side wall of the cabinet. A push rod 13 is pivotably coupled to the frame 11 at 14 and can slide between blocks 15. The lower end of the push rod 13 rests against an edge cam 16 carried on a shaft 17 supported in any suitable bearings in the cabinet. This shaft 17 is driven at suitably slow speed by a worm and worm wheel gear (not shown) from a shaft 18 forming the low-speed output shaft of a speed-reduction gear unit 19 driven by a belt 20 from an electric motor (not illustrated) operating a blower 21. It will be seen that as the shaft 17 rotates, the frame 11 is periodically lifted clockwise from the rest position shown to a position above and clear of the book. This frame serves, in the position shown, to prevent the entrant book from sliding sideways off the platform 6. When the time comes for the books to be removed from the platform 6 by toppling it over anticlockwise, the frame 11 has automatically been raised clear of the book and does not prevent its movement.

The shaft 17 carrying the edge cam 16 also has secured on it a radial abutment in the form of an inverted U shaped member 22 secured to the shaft at the ends of its arms. A pivot pin 23 is passed between the arms of the member 22 and carries a finger 24 lightly loaded in anticlockwise direction by a tension spring 25. It is to Patented June 13,1961

be noted that there is norconnection at all between the member 22 and the push rod 13, although this may appear to be so in the drawing. During the rotation of the shaft'17, the finger starts from a position below the book and proceeds anticlockwise until it passes over the top point and falls against the book, in the position shown.

The spring 25 is relatively very weak and is not capable of causing the finger'24 to move the book. However, when the shaft 17 has rotated far enough to bring the finger 24 against the cross-bar of the U-shaped member 22, the finger then becomes locked to the shaft 17, and

-' presses firmly against the book to push it oif the table,

6 whereafter it slides down the chute 7, passes under the flap 8, and rests againstthe stop 9 from which position it can be removed by hand by the operator. I

In the upper partof the cabinet 1 is arranged a tank 26 for liquid fumigant which is poured in through a filter 26a and the; level of which is indicated at a gauge 27. The liquid leaves the tank through an outlet pipe 28 under the control of a cock 29 and passes through a pipe: 30 to an evaporator 31. This consists of an electrical heating element arranged to warm a suitable open tray in which the level of fumigant is kept steady in wellknown manner. Theevaporator is arranged within a trunking forming the air inlet of the blower 21, and as the blower operates it sucks air plus evaporated fumigant liquid in and blows it out through an outlet 33 coupled by a flexible tube 34 to a nozzle 35 mounted on a horizontal pivot 36. The nozzle is coupled by a link 37 to a spring-loaded cam follower arm 38 which is pivoted to the cabinet and which rides against the edge cam 16. Thus, at each rotation of the shaft 17, the nozzle 35 is rocked backwards and forwards in a small are about the vertical. The base portion or shorter arm of the table 6 is made of perforated or apertured form so that whilst supporting the book it also allows the air stream from the nozzle 35 to play against the leaves of the book. As the nozzle is rocked, the leaves are blown backwards and forwards so that the fumigant-bearing air stream is allowed to enter substantially between every individual page of the book. Thus, during the period in which the book remains on the table 6, it is thoroughly sprayed with the disinfectant liquid in vapour form.

Referring to the circuit diagram shown in FIG. 3, it will be seen that the motor 39 of the blower 21 and the heater 40 of the evaporator 31 are coupled in parallel across a current source and are in series with a one-pole switch 41. Two lamps 42, 43 are in series and are coupled across the current source in series with the switch 41. The switch 41 is lightly spring-loaded into open position and is situated under a plate 44 movably mounted on the shorter arm of the table 6, to receive the book. As soon as a book is inserted into the cabinet and falls onto the plate 44 the circuit is closed and the motor 39 operates until such time as the finger 24 has pushed the book off the table 6 for delivery to the stop 9, whereafter the circuit opens again and the whole machine halts.

One of the lights 42 serves as an indicator that the machine is temporarily operative, whilst the other light 43 is arranged behind an advertisement or other display window to illuminate it. A movable display may be utilised if desired.

Although the apparatus has been illustrated and described as including an electrically heated evaporator, it is not essential to provide such a heater, and the suction of the blower 21 could be caused to operate a carburetting arrangement whereby a venturi-like construction in the inlet trunking 32 produces a depression serving to draw liquid fumigant into the air stream through suitable jet means.

-1 f r I 2,987,785

I claim: V

1. A fumigator for books comprising a cabinet, means including a table mounted in; said cabinet to receive and temporarily retain an inserted book in a predetermined position therein, an air blower disposed in the cabinet and having a movable outlet nozzleto blow astream of air onto the unbound edges of the leaves of said book in said position, means for moving the nozzleto and fro so as to cause the air stream to rifile the leaves of the book to permit entry of the air stream between the said leaves, an inlet trunking for said air blower mounted in the cabinet, a vaporizer in said trunking, a source of supply of fumigant positioned .in the cabinet and connected to said vaporizer, an inclined exit chute positioned partially inside and partially outside the cabinet, and having its upper end adjacent the table, and mechanical means mounted in thecabinet for subsequently pushing the book 05 the 7 table to cause it to slide by gravity down the chute for delivery outside the cabinet. v V

2. A fumigator for books comprising a cabinet having an opening through which a book may be inserted therein, an inclined entry chute mounted in the cabinet with its upper end adjacent said opening to receive the inserted book, a table positioned in said cabinet below the lower end of the entry chute to receive said book off said entry chute in" predetermined position, a movable frame mounted in the cabinet adjacent said table and serving in a first position to retain said book on said table and I in a second position to free said book to be moved off said table, an air blower disposed in the cabinet and having a movable air outlet nozzle positioned to direct a stream of air against the unbound edges of the leaves of said book when positioned on the table, means mounted in thecabinfit for relatively moving said nozzle to and fro past theedgesof the leaves to cause all said edges to ,be

'1 blown apart for entry of the'air stream between the leaves, means mounted in the cabinet for moving the frame to said second position to pushlthe book subsequently off the table, an inclined exit'chute positioned partially inside and partially outside the cabinet'with its References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES, PATENTS 1,005,035 -1 Hood Oct. 3, 1911 1,327,540 Fooks Ian. 6, 1920 2,256,017 Curran Sept. 16, 1941 2,401,131 Bensel May 28, 1946 2,544,007 Cook, Mar. 6, 1951- 2,667,672 Eltinge Feb. 2, 1954 r FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 3, 1938 

